Robbery, assault suspect remains at large
Suspect described as a white male adult, 6’ tall, 160 pounds, with a scruffy beard, wearing all dark clothing
– On Monday, at around 9:24 p.m., San Luis Obispo Police Department received a 911 call regarding a firearm being brandished toward a Ralphs grocery store employee at 201 Madonna Road in San Luis Obispo. It was reported to dispatch the Ralphs employee attempted to stop the suspect from stealing numerous items from the store. After being confronted, the suspect brandished a silver pistol before hitting the employee on the head with a glass bottle. The employee was not injured during the incident.
The first officer who arrived on the scene attempted to stop a subject matching the provided description. As soon as the officer began to pull over to contact him, the subject fled on foot behind Ralphs. With assistance from the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office, the California Highway Patrol, the Morro Bay Police Department, and the Cal Poly Police Department, a perimeter was quickly established to contain the suspect.
Due to the nature of the crime, and the suspect potentially being armed, an armored rescue vehicle and a drone were utilized to assist with the search. Officers additionally searched the area with the assistance of a San Luis Obispo Sheriff’s Office K9 but were not able to locate the suspect.
Officers were able to recover stolen property and the firearm used during the incident from the scene. The firearm was discovered to be a non-functioning replica firearm. The suspect is described as a white male adult, 6’ tall, 160 pounds, with a scruffy beard and wearing all dark clothing.
If you witnessed the incident or can identify the suspect, please contact the on-duty watch commander at (805) 781-7312 and reference case number 230102073.
This is an ongoing investigation. No further information is being released at this time.
